Dr. Tevald Awarded Grant for Transplant Research

By Lana Valente '19

Dr. Michael Tevald, associate professor of Physical Therapy and director of Post-Professional programs, is the recipient of a $40,000 Acute Care Research Grant. His project, “Early Impact of Lung Transplantation on Skeletal Muscle,” will enable the development of evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for acute care physical therapists to address effects of surgery, hospitalization, and illness on physical function. This grant is supported by a donation from the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy.

The grant will primarily fund data collection by physical therapists at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and Good Shepherd-Penn Partners (GSPP). Additional funds will go to consultants analyzing the data and ultrasound measurement protocol.

“Working with patients who had received organ transplants was one of the most fascinating parts of my job when I worked in the hospital, but my research has focused on other populations,” said Dr. Tevald. “With this project, I get to combine my clinical experience and my passion for research in a way that I haven't in the past.”

The grant is funded by the Foundation for Physical Therapy Board of Trustees and the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy.